Explanations for Obedience- Social
Psychology and Dispositional
The results obtained by Milgram and others are disturbing.
Milgram’s studies indicate that: ordinary people can be destructively
obedient.
Why?
Social Psychological Explanations
Milgram offered social-psychological explanations for the levels
of obedience he found in his studies
What are social-psychological explanations?
Such explanations concern the influences of others on an individual’s
behaviour as opposed to external factors in the situation (situational
variations).
The emphasis is shifted away from personal characteristics.
What are these social-psychological explanations in relation
to obedience?
Agentic State
Legitimacy of Authority
, Agentic State – Key explanation
What is an Agentic State?
An agentic state is a mental state where we feel no personal
responsibility for our behaviour because we believe ourselves
to be acting for an authority figure i.e. as their agent.
How does that Agentic State explain why people obey?
This led Milgram to propose that obedience to destructive
authority occurs because in many situations the persons in
authority have relieved those who obey of the responsibility for
their own actions – (Diffusion of responsibility).
They believe they are acting for someone else.
This frees them from the demands of their conscience and the
person “unthinkingly” carries out orders.
What did Milgram refer to this as?
Milgram referred to this process of shifting responsibility for
one’s actions onto someone else as “Agentic Shift”.
Psychology and Dispositional
The results obtained by Milgram and others are disturbing.
Milgram’s studies indicate that: ordinary people can be destructively
obedient.
Why?
Social Psychological Explanations
Milgram offered social-psychological explanations for the levels
of obedience he found in his studies
What are social-psychological explanations?
Such explanations concern the influences of others on an individual’s
behaviour as opposed to external factors in the situation (situational
variations).
The emphasis is shifted away from personal characteristics.
What are these social-psychological explanations in relation
to obedience?
Agentic State
Legitimacy of Authority
, Agentic State – Key explanation
What is an Agentic State?
An agentic state is a mental state where we feel no personal
responsibility for our behaviour because we believe ourselves
to be acting for an authority figure i.e. as their agent.
How does that Agentic State explain why people obey?
This led Milgram to propose that obedience to destructive
authority occurs because in many situations the persons in
authority have relieved those who obey of the responsibility for
their own actions – (Diffusion of responsibility).
They believe they are acting for someone else.
This frees them from the demands of their conscience and the
person “unthinkingly” carries out orders.
What did Milgram refer to this as?
Milgram referred to this process of shifting responsibility for
one’s actions onto someone else as “Agentic Shift”.
